Spinning soap

I usually use cream, but I got a boar brush to try out, and figured using soap for a while will help the break in process. However, I have trouble trying to load the brush because the puck spins in the mug. My solution was on the day before, to dribble some water in the bottom of the bowl, so by morning the soap would have glued itself to the bowl.

My question comes from reading in a post here that you should submerge the soap for a few minutes to soften it up; I've just put a couple drops on top before I got in the shower. So I'm concerned that if I drown the puck, it will come loose and begin spinning again.

How do you all manage this?

Load in back n forth action or jam a wedge of soap in the mug.

Easily solved by putting a finger on the puck to hold it still.

Question is why would you have to submerge the puck in water in the first place. I give a light shake of the brush over the puck, equivalent to your dribbling some water on it, and load the brush. Doing that does not un glue the puck normally.

Bob

Agree with Bob!

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Originally Posted by BobH

Question is why would you have to submerge the puck in water in the first place. I give a light shake of the brush over the puck, equivalent to your dribbling some water on it, and load the brush. Doing that does not un glue the puck normally.

Bob

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When I use soap I simply put the puck in the bowl and put the bowl in a microwave for a few seconds. This melts the soap slightly so that it forms to the bowl and adheres to the bottom.

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Originally Posted by BobH

Question is why would you have to submerge the puck in water in the first place. I give a light shake of the brush over the puck, equivalent to your dribbling some water on it, and load the brush. Doing that does not un glue the puck normally.

Bob

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I have read about and seen this before, seemingly for the more difficult soaps.
You can grate a bit of soap into the bottom of your mug first then push the rest of the puck down onto it if you really want to.
You could also just put a small piece of the soap into a textured bowl and just whisk a lather out of it.
At work I have a largeish plastic bowl with a lid that I just squash left over bits of soap Into, I load my brush from that then mug lather.

Ok, I'll stick with dribbling a few drops over my soap. Glad to know the process I've been using was ok, so I'll just keep doing that.

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Originally Posted by Moonshae

Ok, I'll stick with dribbling a few drops over my soap. Glad to know the process I've been using was ok, so I'll just keep doing that.

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If it is working for you and you are happy with the results no real need to change. Everyone has a different way that works for them. I was a bit tongue in cheek when I said why soak it in the first place. I realize some people do that but I have not found it necessary aside from trying to re hydrate decades old pucks of vintage soap.

Bob

That hasn't been a problem for me since I switched to square mugs. Before that I had to get the mug spinning on a lazy susan up to 1600 rpms then stick the brush in the mug. That worked great, but it was wearing me out.

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Originally Posted by ace

That hasn't been a problem for me since I switched to square mugs. Before that I had to get the mug spinning on a lazy susan up to 1600 rpms then stick the brush in the mug. That worked great, but it was wearing me out.

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:rofl2::rofl2::rofl2:

Bob

+1 for grating the soap and then hand packing it into the mug.

You COULD get it spinning clockwise really fast and change directions with your brush counterclockwise. Back and forth.

Sounds kindof fun! :D

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Originally Posted by ChopperDave

+1 for grating the soap and then hand packing it into the mug.

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Another vote for the grate and puck.
The harder the soap, the finer the grater if you have the option.
Pack in layers, a mist of water helps with some (MWF) - not needed for the softer pucks like Tabac. (For Tabac I use the large side of a box grater, think Mozzarella)

Not only does this fill the bowl edge to edge and stop the spinning - it seems to make loading the brush much easier.

And a whole new AD opens up to you....

Smooth Shaving...

After a little use most of the soap pucks I've used have glued themselves pretty solidly in the bottom of the mug. But even if they don't, even with a soft brush and a hard soap the brush loads well with just the water from the dampened brush. I admit I'm easily amused, though; I find that rattling around a loose puck of soap in the bottom of a shaving mug while getting cleaned up early in the morning is pretty entertaining, actually.

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Originally Posted by MJC

Another vote for the grate and pack.
The harder the soap, the finer the grater if you have the option.
Pack in layers, a mist of water helps with some (MWF) - not needed for the softer pucks like Tabac. (For Tabac I use the large side of a box grater, think Mozzarella)

Not only does this fill the bowl edge to edge and stop the spinning - it seems to make loading the brush much easier.

And a whole new AD opens up to you....

Smooth Shaving...

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Interesting; I'll consider this, especially as I found it difficult to load my new boar brush. I suspect this would help quite a bit.

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Originally Posted by Moonshae

Interesting; I'll consider this, especially as I found it difficult to load my new boar brush. I suspect this would help quite a bit.

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And full disclosure - if memory serves (and that is another subject) this idea came to me from Glenn/gssixgun - and it may be part of the "tribal wisdom" as they say in some circles, i.e. "stuff we learn and pass on that we don't exactly remember where we learned it, but it is working so we pass it on for what its worth..."

Smooth shaving, gird your loins for the coming SAD...

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Originally Posted by MJC

gird your loins for the coming SAD...

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Nah, I picked up MWF (arriving tomorrow) to see what the hype is about, but really, I like my creams. Wm Neumann cream is my favorite, and I have 2 others if I need variety; Edwin Jagger sandalwood (my first) and Tabula Rasa dark lavender. With the MWF and my puck of EJ sandalwood, I'll be set for a long time.

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Originally Posted by Moonshae

Nah, I picked up MWF (arriving tomorrow) to see what the hype is about, but really, I like my creams. Wm Neumann cream is my favorite, and I have 2 others if I need variety; Edwin Jagger sandalwood (my first) and Tabula Rasa dark lavender. With the MWF and my puck of EJ sandalwood, I'll be set for a long time.

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Oh man...I thought that way once too, then it was ten soaps, then 15 soaps later etc and I've quit trying to fight it...just give in...you don't know the power of the dark side! Of course...maybe we should all start an intervention tv show for all of our AD's...hmmm...

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Originally Posted by Moonshae

Nah, I picked up MWF (arriving tomorrow) to see what the hype is about, but really, I like my creams. Wm Neumann cream is my favorite, and I have 2 others if I need variety; Edwin Jagger sandalwood (my first) and Tabula Rasa dark lavender. With the MWF and my puck of EJ sandalwood, I'll be set for a long time.

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MWF likes a lot of water. If it is fairly new from the maker then maybe not so much. When you see the cracks start forming then add some water well before you load the brush. There are several threads on MWF and water.

Ok, I did well getting lather with MWF with my badger brush. I grated the puck and packed it into my bowl. I gave up on my new boar brush (see Boar Brush thread for details)...I just couldn't get it loaded with the MWF. I'll use it with cream.

But that said, I didn't get the glide that I get with Wm Neumann cream...the lather was plenty wet, but seemed sticky on my face.

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Originally Posted by onimaru55

Load in back n forth action or jam a wedge of soap in the mug.

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This. You don't need to swirl a brush on a soap to load it. Back and forth works just fine.
I order a lot of my soaps in refill puck form and put them in my own containers. I don't futz around trying to get the puck to stick if it starts to spin. I just use a back and forth motion, load the brush, and shave. It is really not an issue for me.

You could get it spinning really fast and then just keep your brush static ;)

When all else fails:

hold the soap in your hand,
load your brush,
return the puck to a bowl,
wipe your sudsy hand on your face
face lather with the brush

As Dave points out, while we often get obsessed with the way we think any aspect of this "adventure" ought to be done, or ought to work, common sense is always best. The Goal is to get the brush loaded and get lather on your face. It really isn't that hard. :gaah:

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Originally Posted by rolodave

When all else fails:

hold the soap in your hand,
load your brush,
return the puck to a bowl,
wipe your sudsy hand on your face
face lather with the brush

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Originally Posted by rolodave

When all else fails:

hold the soap in your hand,
load your brush,
return the puck to a bowl,
wipe your sudsy hand on your face
face lather with the brush

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Other than MWF this is what I do. I have a few old wood bowls that aren't sealed. I simply pick up the puck and load, rinse and return when done. I have a little wax paper in the bottom to keep it from sticking. I can load as furiously and messy as I please.